Fifth-wheel for vehicles



(No Model.)

A. 0. CLEMONS, 2d. 8v R. N. CLBMONS. FIFTH WHEEL EOE VEHICLES.

No. 409,733. PatentedAug. 27,' 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAM O. CLEMONS AND ROBERT N. CLEMONS, 2D, OE DRESDEN, NEV YORK.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,733, dated August 27, 1889.

Application iiled June 3, 1889l Serial No. 312,998. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Bel it known that we, ABRAM O. CLEMoNs and ROBERT N. CLEMONS, 2d, citizens of the Unit-ed States, residing at Dresden, in the county of lVashington and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Vheels for Vehicles; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and 'figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ot this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in iifth-wheels for vehicles; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of our invention is to provide an anti-friction bearing for fifth-wheels, which will be simple in its construction, readily applied, and etl'ective in its operation. Ve attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and in wliichp Figure l is a plan view of the roller-bearing plate with part ot the retaining-cap removed. Fig. 2 is a section on the line of Fig. l. Figs. 3 and l are detail views of modiiied forms.

In the drawings, A represents the upper circle, and B the lower circle, attached, respectively, to the cross piece and springframe of the wagon-box. Between these circles is interposed a metallicrplate C, circular in form, having at intervals openings c with inclined walls, and a cross-piece C', with a circular opening (l, formed at its enlarged center. Within the openings c we place balls D, which project beyond the outer face of the plate C, the diameter ot the balls bein ggreater than the width of the under sides of the openings, while the upper sides are wider than the balls.

To retain the balls in place, we place a metal cap E, having openings c therein registering with the other openings and formed with op- 5o positely-inclined walls, to prevent the balls from becoming displaced, but permitting them to rotate easily.

E E are castings attached to the upper and and lower circles, respectively, the former hav- 5 5 ing a downwardly-extending circular iiange f on its under face, while the latter has an upwardly-extending circular iiange f', iittin g within the other-flange. An openingis made in these castings, through which the king- 6o bolt G passes. In the space between the king-bolt and inner flange is placed a series of balls I-I, upon which the upper casting rests. The outer flange iits closely in the opening in the cross-piece C', and thus holds the several -6 5 parts in place.

In Fig. 3 we have shown a modiiied form, wherein rollers are used instead of balls. In Figs. 4rand 3 we have shown a form of upper plate or cap E, it having a downwardly-ex- 7o tending flange c on its edge, which prevents the parts from becoming separated and dispenses with the central castings.

It will be seen by the above construction -that a simple and durable anti-friction wheel is produced. lVe are aware that manyminor changes in construction and arrangement ot the parts of our device can be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing 'from the nature and 8o principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention,wl1at we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combinatiomwith the upper and lower 8 5 circles of a fifth-wheel, ot a circular plate interposed between the same and having openings with inclined walls therein, a removable cap-plate having openings registering with said other openings and formed with opposite- 9o ly-inclined walls, balls in the openings, and a cross-piece, substantially as described.

2. The coinbination,with the upper and lower circles of a fifth-wheel, of an interposed circular plate having a cross-piece with an enlarged opening at its center, balls secured in the plate, castings arranged on the circles having lateral tlan ges of ditferent dimensions extending through the opening in the eross- In testimony whereof we afx our signatures piece, a king-bolt G and a series of balls bein presence of two witnesses. tween the castings, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the upper and ABRAM O. CLEMONS. 5 lower eireles, of the plate C, interposed be- ROBERT N. CLEMONS, 2D.

tween the same and formed with openings c, the Cap E, having openings therein, the izinged Witnesses: castings F F, secured, respectively, to the GARDNER BELDEN, upper and lower circles, and the balls D and HABLAN BELDEN. Io H, substantially as described. 

